City of Long Beach cancels Pride Festival this weekend, Pride Parade still taking place Sunday

The City of Long Beach is hosting the annual Pride Parade on Sunday, but the bulk of the weekend's scheduled events are not happening. The Pride Festival at Marina Green Park has been cancelled due to safety permitting issues, according to the city.

According to an official city news release, the Long Beach Pride Festival "Will not be able to take place this year as sufficient information to safely permit the event has not been made available by the event organizers."

The festival runs independently from the city and was scheduled to begin today at 5 p.m., but the city said just a half hour before, at 4:30 p.m., the required documentation still had not been submitted, causing a last-minute cancellation. The event requires the submission of detailed operational, construction and public safety plans.

"The City did not receive the required documentation needed to complete safety reviews, inspect critical event infrastructure, such as the stage, electrical systems and tent, and emergency exiting plans to ensure compliance with public safety standards," the City of Long Beach wrote in a news release.

The Pride Parade, with 141 entries, the most ever, according to the city, will go on as scheduled Sunday, May 17, starting at 10 a.m.

Long Beach Pride issued the following statement:

"Long Beach Pride is deeply disappointed by the City of Long Beach's decision to cancel the Long Beach Pride Festival, a long-standing community institution that has stood for more than four decades as a symbol of visibility, resilience, belonging, and equality."

"We call on the City of Long Beach, Mayor Rex Richardson, the City Council, and public safety partners to engage in good faith with Long Beach Pride to identify a responsible path forward that preserves the festival, protects public safety, and honors the community this event was created to serve."

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who represents the area, said she was disappointed that the festival was canceled. 

"I hope that people will still come out and celebrate this weekend, see the performances that have been relocated to the Terrace Theater, and support the local Long Beach businesses that are just as proud as ever," she said in a statement.

On Saturday, with thousands of people still flocking to Long Beach to celebrate the festivities with several other events planned like a picnic and bar crawl, Long Beach city officials shared an updated statement. The full statement can be read below:

"The City of Long Beach remains committed to supporting a safe, joyful and inclusive Pride Weekend for our entire community. There are so many opportunities to celebrate in Long Beach. The City and dozens of organizations, businesses and community partners are hosting Pride-themed events, gatherings, performances and family-friendly activities. A list of many of these events can be found at VisitLongBeach.com.

Yesterday, May 15, at 5:25 p.m., the City issued a statement that the Long Beach Pride Festival would not be able to take place this year because critical information necessary to safely permit the event had not been provided by the event organizers to ensure a safe and secure event for attendees.

Typically, completed applications for festivals of this size are due 65 days in advance, with the option for applicants to request expedited review within 14 days. City staff continued to work throughout the week leading up to the festival, including the day before and in the hours leading up to the scheduled start of the event, to receive missing documentation, review all information submitted and provide feedback.

Additional festival site plans were submitted for review around 7 p.m. last night, May 15; however, the submission remained incomplete and did not include important information necessary for the City to complete its safety and permitting review for the event in order to issue permits.  

As of this morning, May 16, the City still did not have approved stamped structural plans for the stage and trusses, approved electrical plans, detailed security plans with specific locations for security, and sufficient detail in the site plan on locations of critical infrastructure to safely grant the necessary event permits.

Although the timeframe had passed to issue permits for the festival as it was originally envisioned by Long Beach Pride, the event organizer, the City continued working last night and this morning to identify possible alternative venue options so that Long Beach Pride could still host a meaningful community gathering this weekend.

City leadership and the Convention Center met with Long Beach Pride last night to offer two solutions: use of the Long Beach Terrace Theater and plaza to accommodate up to 3,000 people or use of the Bixby Park bandshell. In accordance with City regulations and the condensed timeline, these events could not be fenced off and alcohol could not be sold.  However, tickets could have been sold at the Terrace Theater, with sponsor booths on the outside, and the Bixby Park bandshell could have hosted a free concert in the park open to the public. Mayor Rex Richardson offered to privately fundraise up to $50,000 to support either event. Long Beach Pride chose not to accept these options.

This information is being shared in the interest of transparency about the steps the City has taken and to reaffirm that the City's goal throughout this process has been to support a safe, community-focused space for celebration during Pride Weekend.

To support locals and the additional visitors traveling to attend Pride-related activities in Long Beach this weekend, the City has added 11 additional Circuit microtransit vehicles, activated additional Long Beach Transit buses and set out additional restroom facilities on Broadway to support increased traffic in the area.

The City has also opened a permit operation this weekend to support bars and restaurants with questions on what else they can do to accommodate visitors. In addition, the City will activate the bandshell at Bixby Park (130 Cherry Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802) on Sunday, May 17, from noon to 7 p.m. with live music and a free drag show hosted by Jewels of Long Beach. Information regarding the free event at Bixby Park as well as the additional transit options can be found at VisitLongBeach.com.

We are especially excited for the Long Beach Pride Parade, taking place Sunday at 10 a.m. This cherished tradition brings joy to residents and visitors alike.

In 2024, when Long Beach Pride could no longer support the parade, the City stepped in to assume the financial and operational responsibility for the event. What was originally intended as a one-time commitment to support the organization as it reorganized has now continued for a third consecutive year, with the City funding and producing the parade. We are proud to have invested the time, resources and care needed to ensure this beloved event thrives.

Over the past couple of days, there has been a lot of positivity on social media about the parade and the many events taking place this weekend.

We look forward to celebrating Pride together and honoring Long Beach's vibrant LGBTQ+ community, an important part of the city's identity, culture and overall fabulousness."